Remember This Walk
by AlwaysKatie7
Summary: A sweet little One-Shot in which James makes a move...and for once, Lily accepts! Set during their seventh year at Hogwarts.


**A/N-** I wrote this last year, on July 23, 2011 in eager anticipation of Deathly Hallows Part 2. I still somehow like it, so I decided to publish it on here. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I am not, nor will I, (unfortunately) ever be Jo Rowling. Harry Potter belongs to her... which I would hope you all know by now.**

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His hair was wild, in the good kind of way. As he moved the black, tangled, mass of hair flowed with him, as if it were alive. His eyes were blue and full of excitement, and his laugh, oh his laugh! It seemed to rebound off the walls, ricocheting throughout the Gryffindor common room. His mouth would open wide and his face would light up before the sweet sound escaped from his lips, making the whole world come alive. It was, indeed, impossible not to feel _something_ when James Potter laughed.

"Lily!"

The bright-eyed, red-haired seventeen year old tore her gaze away from her sporting classmate and his three companions at the sound of her name. "What?" She hissed at her blond-haired friend, annoyed at being interrupted in her thoughts.

"Staring at Potter again, are we?" She laughed. "Wasn't it only last year that you were calling him- what was it Alice?" She asked, turning to the third and final girl in the group. "Oh yes! 'An arrogant toerag'!"

The girl called Alice nodded in agreement. "Mary's right you know, Lily. You ought to make up your mind!" And she slammed the book she'd been reading shut, as if that settled the matter. Lily, however, only rolled her eyes.

"Don't be silly you two. This is James, James _Potter_ we're talking about here. I stand by what I said last year, he is arrogant. Now I really think we should finish up this essay, I want to stay in McGonagall's good books, and it's due tomorrow..."

Both friends ignored her, having noticed that she'd left out the "toerag" bit in her comment. "Oh come one, we're your friends! And truthfully, it's a bit obvious that you fancy him! 'Lily Potter'," She paused for effect, "It has a nice ring to it."

Lily tried to look stern but nevertheless found herself smiling. Though she didn't wish to admit it, what her friends were saying _did _have some truth behind it. Of the late she'd been finding herself much less annoyed by James' cocky smile and carefree demeanor than she would have been 'last year', and had noticed how she even _enjoyed_ watching him do the things that used to drive her crazy-like playing with his golden snitch, for example.

Then there was Sev. More than one thing had changed since last year, when she'd considered the slightly awkward Slytherin to be her best friend. Now, when she noticed him strutting about the school with the group everyone considered to be future Death Eaters, or remembered him snarling the unforgivable word, 'mudblood' at her, she didn't know how to feel. Since the beginning of term she'd done all she could to simply avoid him, ducking behind statues whenever she spotted him in the corriders and surrounding herself with friends whenever they shared a class. But she knew she couldn't ignore Sev forever. How would it look, if when they finally talked, the first words she said to him were that she was dating his worst enemy? Not a good idea.

"You're probably right, we should be getting back to Transfiguration," Alice piped up, reopening her book. "Animagi," she scrawled onto the top of her parchment.

"Yeah," Lily nodded, glad at the change of subject. She dipped her quill into the open ink bottle. "Animagi"

It wasn't until after the holidays that the topic of James Potter came up again. Lily had overslept and was one of the last to enter the Great Hall for breakfast, ending up taking the vacant seat directly across from James and his friends. The four boys were talking in hushed voices, heads together. Only Remus seemed to notice Lily, buttering her toast. "Hey Evans." He grinned up at her. The others broke from their huddle to look up as well. Sirius noticeably nudged James, who smiled.

"Hey," said Lily. Out of all four boys, Remus was the one she'd talked to most. They often ran into each other at the library, and would sometimes discuss classes or do homework together.

James intervened, "Are you coming to the Quidditch match today? I've been training the team up real hard, and I think we've got a fairly good chance of beating Slytherin. Of course Sirius here is hoping we lose, as his brother's seeker for the opposing team. You've got to root for family, isn't that right?" He laughed good-naturedly at the look of disdain on his best friend's flawlessly handsome face.

"Of course I'm coming," Lily responded briskly, "I've never missed a match."

"I know it."

" 'Course he knows it, " Sirius cut in, eager to get even with James for mentioning Regulas, the brother he tried so hard not to associate with. "Looks for you before every game, doesn't he, to make sure you're watching him from the stands. Isn't that right?"

James scowled and Lily blushed, finishing off the last bit of her toast before standing up. "Excuse me boys, but I've got a free period this morning and I'd like to use it to catch up on Ancient Runes..."

James stood up at once. "I've got a free period too, care to take a walk with me, down by the lake?"

She had to admit it, he was being quite brave, asking her straight out like that.

"Come on Evans!" he pursued, as if reading her thoughts, "You can do Runes any old time, but I haven't got another free period for a week!"

"Alright," she hesitantly agreed, and together they walked out of the Great Hall, leaving Remus, Peter and Sirius chortling with laughter behind them.

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"Your friends are charming," Lily said sarcastically, even though she hadn't really been annoyed by the laughs. Her black-haired companion grinned broadly.

"Oh don't mind them. They're just jealous because I get to spend my morning with you, while the three of them are in detention."

Lily laughed. It didn't surprise her at all that the those boys had found themselves in detention once again. After all, the entire school was well aware that 'Potter and his friends' were constantly being hunted down by the caretaker for one crime or another, "What have they done this time, and why aren't you with them?"

James chuckled, "Sirius roped the others into visiting me at the hospital wing after I got hit by that bludger last Quidditch match. Unfortunately (well for him at least) he wasn't very cautious, and the whole lot of them got caught by Filch on the way down. It was after hours, and the man practically murdered them! Needless to say, pretty soon they'll be cleaning out the trophy room under his watchful eye." He looked over at her and grinned.

The two hobbled down the path leading to the lake. All around them students were laughing and talking, sitting under the trees or running through the grass towards their friends. Everyone was eager to enjoy the beautiful weather. Lily smiled. Even though she had only been with James for a few minutes, everything felt right. The boy standing next to her suddenly seemed wonderful. She could hardly remember the time when she'd hated him, even though it really wasn't so long ago.

She listened semi-consciously to his ramble about NEWTs, focusing more on his bright smile and wild eyes, glimmering under his glasses. She was so consumed with subtly staring at him, lost in his face, that she hardly noticed the pale, greasy figure growing closer.

"Lily," James said sulkily, "Snivellus is on his way over here. I thought you two were no longer friends?"

"We aren't..." Even as she said it though, she felt a growing sense of dread. Severus was going to come over here and ruin everything. Ever since he and her had had their falling out, James and his gang had gone a bit easier on their old victim, leaving Sev relatively alone all year. But Lily wasn't sure James would be able to contain himself if "Snivellus" openly lashed out at his old enemy.

"Give me a chance to talk to him, okay?" She muttered, and hurried off to meet her lost friend, right in between the Slytherin's Snape had broken away from to come talk to her, and James, who was wearing a look of loathing. "Severus," said Lily curtly when she had reached him, acting as if they were merely acquaintances, rather than former best friends.

"Lily," the long-haired boy whispered sadly, a look of resentment in his eyes. If only he had a time-turner and could just go back to that day, he'd change everything, make it all right again. He hated this, seeing her look at him, with those beautiful eyes, in such an angry manner... and he knew she hadn't forgiven him, maybe never would. An awkward silence filled the air, each of them thinking about the other.

"I see you're still hanging around Nott and Avery," said the shorter of the two after a while, gesturing to the surly group of teenaged boys behind Severus.

"They're my friends," he replied, and there was almost a pleading in his voice, as if begging her to understand that. But Lily merely scowled at him, and so he continued, "And I see _you're_ hanging hanging around with Potter."

"Yes, I am." She confirmed, "And I'm having a rather enjoyable time, so if you would please just tell me what you want to, I can get back to him."

Severus scoffed at her. How could she possible be enjoying herself with that _idiot_? It was utterly ridiculous. He chanced a glance at the arrogant prat in question. James was standing alone, staring at Lily with a tiny smile on his face. Severus thought he looked oddly vulnerable without his usual posse surrounding him. All the same, malevolence filled him. He didn't know how he would live with himself if Lily, _his_ Lily, started dating that, that-_git_! The very thought disgusted him. "Stay away from him, please!" He couldn't keep the longing from his words.

"Don't you start telling me what to do, Sev!" She snapped back at him, "He's being very lovely to me! Besides, he hasn't bothered you in _ages_! Just leave us alone, Severus."

And just like that, Lily haughtily stalked off back to James, leaving Snape to blink rapidly and shake his head before returning to his own small group of friends.

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James grinned as Lily rejoined him, but quickly feigned sadness when he saw how miserable she looked. "So, erm, things didn't go so well with Sniv- Severus then?"

"Not really."

"Oh," He grinned once more. "Don't look so depressed, Evans, you've got plenty of other friends, haven't you? If not," he winked at her, "You've at least got me."

Lily couldn't help it, she smiled. "You're so bloody _cocky_ James Potter! Tell you what, I'll _let_ you be my friend _if _you promise to love me more than you love that dumb snitch of yours. I've heard you sleep with it, is that true?" She teased. But James had frozen at the mention of "love". Lily blushed scarlet. "I-I only meant, as-as a friend, you know."

At once he snapped back into his regular self and laughed, though he was soaring with greater joy on the inside. He had never felt happier in his life, standing here with such a beautiful, wonderful girl. He had always thought that if he could just get her away from Snape-everyone knew he fancied her-then _maybe, _just _maybe_, he'd have a chance. Clearly teasing the greasy prat hadn't been the way to go about getting her...Lily, had, after all, practically _despised_ him for years. But he had learned, and now her and Snivellus had fallen apart, and James' opportunity had come.

Spontaneously he grabbed Lily Evans' hand and led her down to the pearly lake. She didn't let go.

**A/N**- I apologize for desperate!Snape... but I do think he would be a little desperate, trying to get back into Lily's good books! Thank you so much for reading! This was my FIRST attempt at FanFiction, and I'm glad to share it with all of you (I would have put that at the beginning, but I feel like putting "My very first fanfic!" right at the start deters people from reading) :) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review, it would mean a lot to me, good or bad!


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